Shark Bay one-chip platform explained

Intel doesn’t call it a SoC, or System-on-Chip but the Shark Bay Haswell one-chip Platform sure feels like it. We got some information about the new platform, based on 22nm Haswell U and Y low power mobile processors.

It is an integrated I/O chipset that is joined together in the same package with the CPU. Since CPUs have featured graphics and memory controllers on die for years, you can almost call Shark Bay one-chip a complete SoC.

The new platform has support for Windows 8 connected standby, Intel active Management technology 9.0, Small business advantage, has ACHI and RAID support, Smart response technology, Intel Insider, Intel Anti-theft technology as well as Intel WiDi and 3 independent display. It can get a total of 8 USBs while two to four can be USB 3.0 ports.

The integrated chipset supports up to six PCIe 2.0 devices across 12 lanes and up to 4 SATA ports where all or none can be SATA 6.0. This integrated one-chip platform doesn’t support VGA, LVDS but it has a place from two sensor interface including I2C or UART, Anchor Cove, Platform trust technology and Platform flashing armoring technology.

The firmware supports 1.5 to 5MB flash sizes. The chipset currently goes under the Premium brand and it should be enough for Premium, Consumer SMB or Corporate market. There will be a cheaper, somewhat crippled version of the Shark Bay 1 chip platform called Baseline coming at the same time. We should the new platform in tablets and low power notebooks / Ultrabooks.

People who like more flexibility and performance can remain calm as there is additional Shark Bay 2 chip platform that has HM86 / HM87 or QM87 chipset powered with Haswell based mobile CPU.